This invention relates to a gas generator assembly of an airbag module for a motor vehicle.
Such gas generator assembly is equipped for inflating a gas bag of an airbag module and for this purpose comprises a gas generator housing and a gas set arranged in the generator housing, e.g. a gas-generating solids charge in tablet form, from which a gas can be generated on ignition by means of an ignition device. There is furthermore provided a volume compensating element which acts on the gas set under elastic pretension. The elastic volume compensating element serves to fill that space in the generator housing which is not taken by the gas set or the pyrotechnical charge. The gases generated on ignition of the gas set are filtered by means of a filter provided in the generator housing, before the same are released from the generator housing for inflating a gas bag.
Such gas generator assembly for an airbag module is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,865. In that gas generator a filter arranged within the tubular generator housing annularly surrounds a gas set, so that the gases generated on ignition of the gas set first pass through the filter, before they can exit through outlet openings in the wall of the generator housing. There is furthermore provided a volume compensating element formed as spiral or coil spring, which is arranged within the generator housing in the region of the igniter of the gas generator and acts on the gas set under pretension. Such gas generator assembly is expensive to manufacture due to the plurality of different components. Furthermore, the volume compensating element arranged in the region of the igniter can influence the ignition behavior of the gas set.